SEAT Alhambra MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics

SEAT Alhambra MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average

The SEAT Alhambra passed on its first attempt in 78.5%, and its overall record sits +1.0 percentage points above the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the SEAT Alhambra in the 2023–2025 data: 97,258 tests across 21 model years (2000–2020). A test still carries exactly one pass or fail verdict.

Figures are computed from every recorded DVSA test for this model in the 2023–2025 data.

Most Common SEAT Alhambra MOT Problems by Failure Category

Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the SEAT Alhambra, the Suspension section leads the record — the breakdown below shows where the recorded failures cluster, then the exact strings behind the three biggest sections.

Shares are over the SEAT Alhambra's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.

Top Recorded SEAT Alhambra DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions

The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the SEAT Alhambra, each with how many of the model's 97,258 tests it was noted on.

• "Pins and bushes pin or bush excessively worn" (Major) — noted on about 3,449 SEAT Alhambra tests, 3.5% of the model's MOT record.
• "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (Minor) — noted on about 3,068 SEAT Alhambra tests, 3.2% of the model's MOT record.
• "Has ply or cords exposed" (Major) — noted on about 1,843 SEAT Alhambra tests, 1.9% of the model's MOT record.
• "Malfunction indicator lamp inoperative or indicates a malfunction" (Major) — noted on about 1,479 SEAT Alhambra tests, 1.5% of the model's MOT record.
• "Has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords" (Major) — noted on about 1,329 SEAT Alhambra tests, 1.4% of the model's MOT record.
• "Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm" (Major) — noted on about 988 SEAT Alhambra tests, 1.0% of the model's MOT record.

Best and Worst SEAT Alhambra Model Years by Pass Rate

The strongest SEAT Alhambra model year on record is 2020 (89.4% across 2,697 tests), and the weakest is 2003 (65.8%). The gap between them is 23.6 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.

SEAT Alhambra reliability is improving in the DVSA data — the pass rate moves about 1.4 points a year across the most recent model years shown above.

Newest model year first. Only years with at least 50 recorded tests are listed.

Pre-MOT Inspection Checklist for SEAT Alhambra Owners

These checks follow this SEAT Alhambra's own most-recorded failure strings, starting with what a tester is most likely to flag on a SEAT Alhambra.

• the suspension joints — “pins and bushes pin or bush excessively worn”

  With the car parked on level ground, rock the top of each front wheel in and out while someone watches the suspension arm. Clunks, or rubber boots split and greasy, are what testers record here.

• the windscreen — “windscreen damaged”

  Check the driver’s side of the screen within the swept area for chips and cracks; anything larger than 10mm in the driver’s central view is a fail. Most chips can be resin-repaired for far less than a new screen.

• the lights — “malfunction indicator lamp inoperative or indicates a malfunction”

  Switch everything on and walk round the car: both headlamps on dip and main, every indicator, both brake lights, reverse, fog and the two number-plate lamps. A bulb is a few pounds and a five-minute job.

Derived from the DVSA failure strings testers recorded for the SEAT Alhambra. A check that finds nothing means the item is likely fine, not that the test is guaranteed.

Where the SEAT Alhambra is most common

Across every Alhambra model year on record (2000–2020): 38,030 SEAT Alhambra cars tested in a recordable postcode area, across 97,255 tests. Birmingham (B) has the most, with 1,545 cars tested there. Cars are counted by the postcode area of the MOT station, so this is where they were tested, not necessarily where their owners live.

The twenty areas with the most SEAT Alhambra cars in the record, sorted by car count — sort the columns for a different question. Cars tested at a station whose postcode area could not be resolved are counted in the model's total but in no area, so the shares add up to slightly under 100% even across every area, and an area's cars are a subset of the model's. Pass rate is blank below 30 tests in an area, where a percentage is noise rather than a finding. How this model's pass rate varies by postcode →

Frequently Asked Questions: SEAT Alhambra MOT & Reliability